Usama b. Zaid reported Messenger of Allah ﷺ having said this: This calamity or illness was a punishment with which were punished some of the nations before you. Then it was left upon the earth. It goes away once and comes back again. He who heard of its presence in a land should not go towards it, and he who happened to be in a land where it had broken out should not fly from it.

حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ، أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو وَحَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى قَالاَ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَامِرُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ " إِنَّ هَذَا الْوَجَعَ أَوِ السَّقَمَ رِجْزٌ عُذِّبَ بِهِ بَعْضُ الأُمَمِ قَبْلَكُمْ ثُمَّ بَقِيَ بَعْدُ بِالأَرْضِ فَيَذْهَبُ الْمَرَّةَ وَيَأْتِي الأُخْرَى فَمَنْ سَمِعَ بِهِ بِأَرْضٍ فَلاَ يَقْدَمَنَّ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ وَقَعَ بِأَرْضٍ وَهُوَ بِهَا فَلاَ يُخْرِجَنَّهُ الْفِرَارُ مِنْهُ " .